Splicer for butt splicing motion picture film



Dec. 8; 1970 u. H. macquzs rou ,0

I SPLICER FOR BUTT SPLICINGMOTIQN PICTURE FILM Filed July 28, 1967 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Arromvzrs United States Patent 3,546,046 SPLICER FOR BUTT SPLICING MOTION PICTURE FILM Dexter H. MaeQueston, Winchendon, Mass., assignor to The Kalart Company Inc., Plainville, Conn., a corporation of New York Filed July 28, 1967, Ser. No. 656,838 Int. Cl. B31f /00; G03d /04 U.S. Cl. 156-505 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A splicer for splicing, particularly for butt splicing the ends of two lengths of motion picture film, which comprises two hingedly connected parts in which are embedded a splicing blade and registration pins and which can be folded upon each other. The pins hold both film ends to be spliced firmly in mutual positions such that by a single motion effected by folding the two parts of the splicer upon each other, both film ends are correctly trimmed and positioned for butt splicing and ready for applying a splicing tape or patch to the trimmed film ends.

The present invention relates to devices for positioning and trimming length of motion picture film to be joined by application of a splicing patch thereto, such devices being commonly referred to as splicers, and more particularly, the invention relates to butt splicers, that is to devices by means of which the film ends are joined in abutting rather than overlapping relationship.

The present invention also relates to devices for accommodating a supply of splicing patches to be dispensed one by one.

Butt splicers and other splicers are widely used by photographers, particularly amateur photographers, in connection with the editing and repairing of motion picture film.

It is a broad object of the invention to provide a novel and improved splicer of the general kind above referred to which is convenient to operate, light in weight, small in size and inexpensive in manufacture.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved splicer of the general kind above referred to, the trimming blade and registration pins of which are fully enclosed when the splicer is closed. This has the advantage that on one hand the blade and the pins are protected and on the other hand cannot cause injury or damage when the splicer is carried by the user in a pocket or is taken out of a bag.

Another more specific object of the invention Is to provide a novel and improved splicer of the general kind above referred to in the form of a molded one-piece plastic body in which are embodied the splicing blade and the registration pins and which can be molded by typlcal mass productiontechniques. Splicers according to the invention can be so inexpensively produced that they lend themselves for distribution as a premium or throw-away item, yet are serviceable to function over a long period of time. More specifically, splicers according to the invention have a two-part body, said parts being joined preferably by a so-called live hinge, so that the two splicer parts can be readily swung into and out of a substantially superimposed position. In the latter position, the blade and the pins are completely enclosed by the body of the splicer as previously pointed out.

Still another more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved splicer of the general kind above referred to with which, after placing the two film ends to be spliced upon the registration pins, both said film ends can be simultaneously trimmed for butt splicing by a single motion, namely by folding the two splicer parts into the superimposed position thereof. The finger pressure required for such trimming operation is a very slight one, so that it is not likely to damage the trimming blade or the registration pins, and can be readily performed even by a person of very limited strength.

A further more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved splicer of the general kind above referred to, the registration pins of which hold both film ends automatically in positions such that the film ends are trimmed for butt splicing and correctly located for application of the splicing tape when the aforedescribed single trimming motion is effected.

A still further more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved splicer of the general kind above referred to, the registration pins of which are so dimensioned and located that they are readily received in the sprocket holes of the film ends and are capable of safely retaining the film ends in spite of the frequently present curving on the film ends and the inherent springiness of the film material.

It is also a broad object of the invention to combine a splicer of the general kind above referred with a splicing tape dispensing device of the type disclosed in prior Pat. 3,136,679 of the assignee herein.

A more specific object of the invention, allied with the next preceding one, is to provide a supply of splicing patches in the form of a continuous strip which is divided by transverse cuts, the tape in each of the patches being shaped and dimensioned to fit upon the registration pins of the splicer, and each patch being detachable from the dispenser in the manner of the removal of a match from a match book.

Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims constituting part of the application.

In the accompanying drawing, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, of a splicing patch dispensing device with the splicer secured thereto, the dispensing device and the splicer being shown closed;

FIG. 2 is an edge view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an edge view similar to FIG. 2, but the dispensing device and the splicer being shown partly opened;

FIG. 4. is a perspective view of the splicer in its fully open position, ready for a trimming and splicing operatlon;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary setional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged diagrammatic plan view of two trimmed film ends placed upon the registration pins of the splicer; and

FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the figures more in detail, the splicing patch dispensing device as exemplified in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a folder 10 made of a strip of suitable pliable material such as heavy paper or thin cardboard. The strip has fold lines 11 to define a base 12 and a cover 13. Base 12 is formed with second fold lines 14 to define the wall portion 12a bent back to obtain a pocket 15 for one or several layers of splicing patches 20.

As is shown in FIG. 4, each of the splicing patches comprises a length of splicing tape 21 cut from very thin, light-transmitting sheet material made of a suitable plastic such as Mylar. Such material is generally supplied in sheets or rolls from which pieces of appropriate length may be cut. The tape is then coated on one side with a suitable and conventional pressure adhesive. The composition of the adhesive does not constitute part of the invention; any of the many available pressure adhesives may the short edge of the respective sprocket hole remote from slot 50, as is clearly shown in FIG. 6, Or vice versa. Accordingly, each pair of pins 65 prevents a lengthwise displacement of the respective length of film in reference to slot 50.

The diameter of all pins 65 is about equal to the crosswise width of the sprocket holes, as is also shown in FIG. 6, thereby preventing displacement of the film ends transverse to their length also.

The rounded tips of pins 65 and the circular crosssection of the pins facilitate the placement of the film ends upon the pins and into engagement with the working surface 31a of bottom section 31.

The film, when being readied for a trimming and splicing operation, is usually withdrawn from a reel. Accordingly, the film ends tend to be more or less curled, which may make it somewhat inconvenient to flatten the film ends upon the work surface 31a. To facilitate retention of the film ends in such flattened position, the outer pins 66 are provided. These pins, which have a greater length than the inner pins, will prevent a curled film from snapping out of its engagement with the inner pins 65. The pointed or cone-shaped portion of pin 66 facilitates the fitting of the inherently somewhat springy film, first upon pin 66 and then upon pins 65. The location of outer pins 66 is preferably separated from that of the next adjacent inner pin 65 by the distance of several sprocket holes, but it must, of course, be so selected that the pins 66 are in registry with a sprocket hole when pins 65 are engaged by the sprocket holes.

The entire splicer as hereinbefore described in a selfcontained unit which has not any loose parts and which can be carried and used in any desired manner as a selfcontained unit. However, in some cases, it will be found convenient to combine the splicer structurally with the splicing patch folder 10. The splicer is preferably mounted on folded-over portion 12a of base 12 and can be conviently and safely secured to wall portion 12a by staples 70 and 71, which may also be used to secure the studs 23a off the splicing patches in pocket 15.

A positioning, trimming and splicing operation by means of a splicer and a splicing patch holder as hereinbefore described is as follows:

There are shown in FIG. 4 two lengths of film 68 and 68a, the jagged edges 68 and 68a of which are first to be trimmed off and while they are to be spliced in butt engagement at the edges indicated by dotted lines 70 and 71.

To effect the positioning and trimming of the films, the splicer is opened to the extent necessary to provide a convenient and free access to the registration pins. The two film ends are then placed upon the pins on the left hand side and the righthand side respectively, of slot preferably the long pins being first engaged to provide an anchor point for engagement of the inner pins 65. The jagged ends of the two films will now overlie each other.

In this connection, it should be mentioned that it does not matter, within reason of course, how much the jagged film ends overlie each other. It is only necessary that a non-jagged or complete portion of each film overlies slot 50. The splicer is then closed and as a result, blade 36 will trim simultaneously both jagged edges of the films. The result is a clean edge on both film ends, as is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

As previously explained, the location and dimensions of inner pins assure that there is no appreciable gap between the two trimmed film ends and that both films are in exact lengthwise alignment.

The splicer is then reopened, the cut off waste is removed, and the film ends are now ready for application of a splicing patch 20 thereto. Such splicing patch is removed from holder 10 by simply tearing off a patch in a manner similar to the removal of a match from a match book.

The patch is applied to the film by placing it upon pins 65 with the backing strips 22 and 23 facing downwardly. These strips are then pulled out and the now exposed adhesive side of tape 21 is pressed against the two film ends. If necessary or desired, a second patch may be applied by turning over the film ends and again placing it upon pins 65 in the same longitudinal position. A second splicing patch is then applied, as previously described. The spliced film can now be removed from the splicer, which is again closed to protect the working area, the registration pins and the blade.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a certain now preferred example and embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for trimming and positioning for butt splicing two lengths of motion picture film having uniformly spaced and dimensioned elongate sprocket holes, said device comprising in combination:

a body having a bottom section and a top section hingedly joined on one edge for pivoting the sections into and out of a substantially superimposed position, the bottom section having a generally flat work ing surface facing the top section in the superimposed position of the sections;

a trimming blade secured in the top section normal to the pivot axis thereof, said Working surface of the bottom section including a slot disposed to receive said blade in said superimposed position of the sections;

a pair of round registration pins protruding from said working surface and disposed in a row on each side of said slot normal thereto, the diameters of said pins being substantially equal to the transverse width of the sprocket holes to prevent transverse displacement of film lengths engaged with the pins and the spacing of the pins in each pair in reference to each other and the slot being such that one pin in each pair abuts against one transverse edge of one sprocket hole and the other pin of the respective pair abuts against the opposite transverse edge of another sprocket hole to prevent also lengthwise displacement of the two film lengths in reference to said slot and to each other; and

at least one additional registration pin protruding from the working surface on each side of the slot, each of said additional pins being aligned with the respective pair of pins and each being spaced from the nearest pin in the respective pair by the spacing of several sprocket holes for additionally retaining the film length on the working surface, said slot being located midway between the two adjacent pins of the pairs whereby upon placement of the two sections in the superimposed position the blade trims simultaneously the ends of both film lengths fitted upon the registration pins so that the trimmed film ends are in abutting relationship between said adjacent pins having the slot therebetween.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said additional pins have a greater length than the pins in said pairs.

3. The device according to claim 2 wherein the pins in said pairs have rounded tips and said additional pins have pointed tips.

4. The device according to claim 1 and comprising releasable locking means on said top and bottom sections for releasably locking the two sections in said superimposed position, said locking means including a tongue of yieldable material extending from one section and having a generally keyhole-shaped cut-out, and a catch on the other section engageable with the wide portion of the slot upon passing of the throat of the cut-out by the catch when the two sections are placed in the superimposed position.

5. The device according to claim 1 wherein said top section has a protrusion engageable with said working surface in the superimposed position of the sections to hold the facing surfaces thereof spaced apart for accommodating the registration pins and the blade between the sections in said position.

6. The device according to claim 5 wherein said protrusion of the top section is in the form of a peripheral flange thereby forming a box-like structure.

7. The device according to claim 1 wherein said bottom section comprises a peripheral flange depending from the working surface of said section thereby forming a boxlike structure.

8. The device according to claim 1 wherein said top section has in its surface coacting with the bottom section a rib normal to the pivot axis of the sections, said trimming blade being lengthwise embedded in said rib protruding therefrom, a block protruding from said top section surface at the end of the blade adjacent to the pivot axis of the sections, the respective blade end terminating at said block and said working surface of the bottom section including a cut-out for receiving said block in the superimposed position of the sections.

9. The device according to claim 1 wherein said body is a one-piece molded plastic body, the hinge joint between said two sections being a strip of flexible plastic integral with the two sections.

10. In combination: a trimming and positioning device in accordance with claim 1; and a dispensing device for dispensing splicing tape patches as used for butt splicing of motion picture film, said dispensing device comprising a folder having a base wall and a cover wall foldable upon each other along a fold line, said base wall including a portion folded back about a fold line parallel to said first mentioned fold line to define a pocket at the respective end of the base wall, a plurality of splicing tape patches, each including a length of splicing tape having on one of its sides a layer of pressure adhesive material and two backing strips each protruding from one end of the tape and folded back upon itself at about the middle of the splicing tape, the folded back portion of each backing strip being adhered to the respective half of the splicing tape, one of said backing strips having a transverse tear line dividing said strip in a stub portion and a folded back portion adhered to the respective tape half, the stub portion of each of said strip extending into said pocket, and fastening means securing said trimming and positioning device upon said folded back portion of the base wall, said fastening means extending through the bottom section of the trimming and positioning device, said folded back base wall portion and the base wall itself to secure the trimming and positioning device to the holder and said stub portions within said pocket.

11. The combination according to claim 10 wherein said splicing patches in the holder constitute a continuous strip, said strip having transverse cuts to define individual patches, the portion of the strip extending into the pocket to define said stub portions of the patches being left uncut.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,082,866 3/1963 Kessman 156505 3,136,679 6/1964 Bender 156505 3,382,131 5/1968 Morganroth 156505 3,408,726 11/1968 Brown 156-502 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner D. A. HART, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 156157, 502 

